The Pilgrimage
by The StoryEater
Summary: Released after seven years in prison, Wren Corday embarks on a journey across an untamed continent to find forgiveness and atonement. Abandoned by his family, labeled a villain, and hounded by those determined to put him back behind bars, the disgraced trainer must survive the perils of the infamous Jasmantine Trail if he is to put his dark past behind.


**Then:**

* * *

 _"Get up, damn you, get up! This battle's not over until I say so, you lazy, useless piece of—"_

 _In front of a packed stadium, in front of a stunned audience and hundreds of thousands watching the televised broadcast all around the world, Wren Corday whipped his Charizard._

 _It didn't matter that a well-placed Thunderbolt had knocked his loyal Pokémon out of the sky. It didn't matter that Charizard had once been Wren's starter Charmander, nor that he had been responsible for most of Wren's victories and his subsequent entry into the Pokémon League._

" _I won't let you hold me back!" Wren shrieked. "You will get up and finish this fight, or I swear to Arceus, this pain will be nothing compared to what I'll do to you!"_

 _The leather whip cracked across Charizard's fallen body, raising red welts amidst charred burns. The dragon moaned and whimpered, feebly stirring, unable to defend himself. Horrified screams and shouts were pouring from the audience. Enraged trainers hurled empty bottles and curses at Wren, and a few were even clambering into the stadium floor determined to stop the abuse._

 _Wren saw or heard none of this. The pounding of his heartbeat drowned out everything. His world only contained himself, his whip, and this pathetic, weak Pokémon that had failed him. He had come too far. The title of the League Champion was within his grasp. He had to have it. He deserved to have it._

" _Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!"_

 _Noise filled Wren's world again. He looked up, and saw his opponent level a finger from across the field. The fiendish Pikachu that had knocked out half of Wren's team leapt into the air, its red cheeks crackling with charged energy. The look on the rodent's face mirrored the rage on his trainer._

 _Then the most brilliant flash of lightning struck Wren, and he screamed like no one had screamed before. He saw Ash Ketchum running towards the Charizard amidst a roaring approval of the crowd. The compassion in his eyes etched itself indelibly into Wren's memory, before agony pulled him down into a blackness without dreams._

* * *

 _February 23_ _rd_ _, Saturday, Kanto Times_

 _ **Prison Sentence for Disgraced Trainer!**_

 _The 4_ _th_ _District Court of Kanto has sentenced former Pokémon trainer Wren Corday of Saffron City to seven years in federal prison, bringing an end to an explosive affair that has rocked the trainer community all around the world. 17-year-old Mr. Corday, son of Hon. Lord CEO Thomas Corday of Skyler Corporation, had been charged with Pokémon abuse in the first degree, after a horrendous footage of him whipping his defeated Charizard aired live during last year's Indigo League Championship semifinals. The assault had been stopped thanks to a timely intervention from his match partner Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town and his Pikachu. Mr. Corday's charges, meanwhile, escalated further once it was revealed that his Pokémon were regularly given illegal doses of steroids and narcotic stimulants, often used enhance performances during battle._

" _Such odious abuse of Pokémon must be dealt with utmost severity and maximum punishment within the bounds of the law," said Judge Jamie Vinehouse, who had passed down the sentence. "It is my hope that Mr. Corday's example serves as a dire warning to all those exploiting Pokémon for their own selfish agenda."_

 _Having confiscated Mr. Corday's Pokémon collection, the Kanto police is scheduled to transport Mr. Corday to the Pewter City Penitentiary this evening from his current confinement in county jail. High security is expected, due to a large number of Pokémon-abuse protesters gathering outside the facility._

 _Mr. Ketchum, who currently holds the title of Indigo League Champion, has declined to comment. (Continued on P. 7)_

* * *

 _January 14_ _th_ _, Tuesday, Johto Post_

 _ **Pokémon Abuser's Parole Denied after Hearing**_

 _The Parole Board of Pewter City Penitentiary today has unanimously voted to deny convicted Pokémon abuser Wren Corday parole after two years of his seven year sentence. Mr. Corday, who had been imprisoned since the notorious incident at the 2016 Indigo League semifinals, will not be eligible for another parole for another two years. Inside sources report that Mr. Corday had appeared genuinely remorseful, but that his case failed to convince the panel of wardens._

 _"Prisoners like Mr. Corday must be given same treatment as every other prisoner," Warden Rye Anna said in an interview. "Let me be the first to assure that his privileged background had no impact on today's decision."_

 _The news has been met with much fanfare among the public, though a few responded with disgust and rage._

 _"If anything, that bastard should've been given a life sentence," said Penelope Sorrell, a member of the Pokémon activist group 'Better Together.' "His lenient term is proof that even today, the rich and famous can buy their way out of prison." (Continued on P. 8)_

* * *

… _situated two hundred nautical miles due northwest of Sinnoh, the continent of Utica is unique among regions for its relative sparsity of human settlement. Its remote location as well as inhospitable environment has discouraged exploration and large-scale immigration for centuries, and the combined population across its entire breadth does not amount to more than twenty thousand even to this day. Kanto and Johto research bases cling to Utica's extensive coastline, while Utican natives populate the interior in a chain of small cities and towns. Technological base across Utica is considered primitive by modern standards, apart from a few trinkets brought in by traders and travelers._

 _Utica boasts deserts, jungles, and frost-capped mountains as majestic as those found elsewhere, though their scenic appearance should not be taken at a face value. Various climates governing such places are extreme to the point of proving lethal to unwary travelers. Sandstorms and blizzards are common occurrences, as are flash floods and tropical diseases. The harsh conditions have consequently bred indigenous Pokémon of exceptionally aggressive nature that respond poorly to human contact. Only the scattered native settlements offer long-term refuge against the elements, though chances of survival in those places are tenuous at best. Any reader doubting the veracity of these claims would do well to remember the grisly fate of Marlbury expedition of 1875, of which I shall further elaborate in Chapter 8._

 _Despite such dangers, Utica receives a sizable number of visitors each year, many of whom are foreign trainers seeking adventure. The majority, however, are adherents of the Arcerim sect who consider Utica to be a sacred land. Hundreds of these religious pilgrims purchase sea passage to Utica at least once in their lifetime, congregating at the seaport settlement of Garnet City. From there, the Arcerim caravans embark on a 7,000-kilometer trek across the length of Utica, following a passageway known as the Jasmantine Trail. Anthropologists have traced the origin of this tradition to a native ritual undertaken by the penitent seeking to purge their sins through hardship._

 _Visits from these pilgrims have been instrumental in sustaining native settlements straddling the trail, especially those housing shrines sacred to the Arcerim. Most pilgrims, however, often turn back partway through their journey due to the unforgiving environment. The list of those who have reached the end of the pilgrimage remains short thus far…_

\- _An_ _Adventurer's Guide to Utica,_ Prof. Samuel Oak, Viridian Publishing Company, 1995-


End file.
